Duke
Information History Canon :UHH. tl;dr = there was a war like ten years ago, entelexeia vs. humans, and the entelexeia king (elucifur) sided with the humans, was bff with duke, etc., etc., etc.. Duke brought a dead guy's body to Alexei, Elucifur got snubbed, Duke killed some people, Duke stole Dein Nomos, and then Duke went into wanderer mode and has been doing said wandering around Terca Lumireis for the past ten years rambling about things and helping the remaining Entelexeia. Luceti : Duke was in Luceti back in 2009. He lurked around, watched Yuri Lowell a bit, watched the rest of the cast, talked to Raven somewhat, watched Luceti fall into chaos, switched bodies with Rika, and generally was pretty background. He left Luceti the November of that year, only to come back in 2011. ... he probably has no idea how long he was gone for, and he's never thought it important enough to ask. : As of this moment he's been around Luceti for a little bit, and he's interacted with people a little more than he had in the past. He's curious to see the changes in Luceti (the changes in the atmosphere as well as the people), and has noted a few in Yuri. To himself, inbetween all that "..."ing and "hm"ing. He's curious to see how Yuri would react to Judith and Jonah's names, but... : ... he's not going to ask anytime soon. : So far he has not been affected by any events, but he attempted to talk to Yuri, Karol, and Alexei during the AU Family. Personality : The easiest place to begin is also the most obvious place: Duke is anti-social and distant. In fact, he probably hasn't spoken to many humans beyond Yuri (and party) for the better part of ten years. He's seen them, observed them, and walked through their cities/towns, but he's never stopped to talk to them the way he has with Yuri (it should be noted, however, that Yuri is usually the one to approach him rather than vice-versa). This stems from some extreme issues he has with trust (in general) and trusting people. A long time ago he was betrayed by humanity. Bitterly so, and that betrayal left a scar that drove him away from the race as a whole. While it's not due to resentment toward them, it is because he doesn't believe in humans. After his experiences he's come to the conclusion that humans are ignorant, content in their ignorance, and doomed to repeat their mistakes for the above two reasons (and then some). They try neither to comprehend their world nor expand their knowledge of the world itself. They selfishly think of their individual needs/wants and not of how said needs/wants effect those around them, or how their actions in general effect others. : Duke's contemplation over human nature is displayed a few times throughout the game, but most notably in the ending and in his first appearance (in Deidon Hold). Yuri and Estelle first come across Duke standing alone, isolated, thinking to himself before Estelle interrupts him. When she does, he easily responds (meaning that he doesn't particularly care about sharing his observations with any passerby. He also doesn't mind getting input on his thoughts based on the way he collectedly and practically responds to Yuri) with what he's thinking/doing, which is observing humanity. He claims to not understand why humans "live the lives they do," meaning he doesn't understand why they fight one another. Humanity's self-centered way of thinking baffles Duke. Monopolizing technology, hurting those they care for/are close to, the way they shrug off anything they don't understand doesn't register to him. He cannot fathom their way of thinking, their mentality, because he's not like most humans. : They state in-game that Duke's friend and equal was Elucifur, an Entelexeia. That's reflected in his way of thinking. The way Duke views the world, its people, and its state isn't in a way that's natural for a human. Duke thinks from an observer's standpoint. He sits back, he considers, he ponders, and then he does it all over again until he comes to a satisfactory conclusion. That's why he doesn't understand people, and it doesn't help that he doesn't interact with them very much. Until, of course, Yuri and party come along. By speaking with them, hearing their side of things, and in turn giving them something to think about he opens himself to a new line of thinking. : Unfortunately, there isn't enough time in the game for him to change. Yes, he does open up a little to some humans (he rationalizes his trust in them as a courtesy for being different, for seeking out and hearing the Entelexeia's words. Also for the Entelexeia), and yes he starts to trust them a small amount. But something happens that makes him retract his opinion. Not completely, of course, it's more that he returns to a neutral mindset. Duke does what he thinks must be done for the world, which is what he's always done. Stealing Dein Nomos, using Dein Nomos to calm the Aer Krenes, and destroying humanity to save the world are all things he recognizes as such. To him, they're necessities and, at least for the last point, an outcome that humanity itself brought about. Which... gets back into all of the above, really. : Aside from that, though? There's a lot to Duke. It might not seem like it sometimes, but every bit of Duke's dialogue is important to his character. Whether it's because it shows his opinions (which are honest, he doesn't soften his words. He might not speak all the time or share his thoughts at all times, but he doesn't limit himself due to being considerate) or because he doesn't show his opinions. As in, he just starts walking away. A large part of what you see of Duke, especially early on, involves his backside. When Duke is finished speaking, he's done. He'll outright drop conversations when or if he finds them inconvenient. He'll even drop them if he simply doesn't feel inclined to explain himself. : Despite being somewhat averse to giving explains, he will openly question someone if he doesn't comprehend their words (or feelings). It makes for an unequal sense of give and take. The reason Duke doesn't understand people? Is because he's a logical sort of fellow—very logical. And what's worse is that he's fed that logical and intellectual side of himself for several years by keeping company with the Entelexeia. At this point, he's so disassociated with humanity that they can and have easily baffled him. 'cause, unlike Duke, humans are very emotional beings; in fact, it takes time for Duke to become re-accustomed to that fact when he begins interacting with Yuri. And party. : Furthermore, he trusts, respects, and believes in the Entelexeia with every fiber of his being: the kin of his friend whom the humans wronged. His loyalty to them, and to those he considers friends (and by extension those the Entelexeia consider friends), is absolute. Said loyalty is even the reason why Duke does most of the things he does in Tales of Vesperia. Protecting the world is the fulfillment of a vow Duke made to his friend, Elucifur. Even after ten years he hasn't given up on his promise, a thing he easily could've done. But that's not who Duke is, nor will it ever be him. He's honest, straightforward, eloquent, and whimsical in the strangest ways, but more than that? He's loyal. To the world, and to those he calls friend. As long as he believes in what he's doing, he won't be deterred from his objectives. : What it comes down to is that Duke is a private person. He doesn't overshare, and doesn't care very much when other people do. Something along the lines of he'll listen, not contribute, but only to a certain point. He'll also be extremely unhelpful to anyone that talks to him if he feels the need. Anything Duke says is what Duke wants to say. No more, no less. Relationships Canon TBW. Luceti Elicia Hughes. : He's spoken to her twice. He doesn't know much about her as a person, or about her past. He doesn't dislike talking to her though. Category:Characters